Hoodia

Uses

Principal Proposed Uses

Hoodia is a cactus-like plant that grows in the Kalahari desert in South Africa and Namibia. Advertising literature associated with hoodia claims that the herb has been used for thousands of years by the San people (commonly, though inappropriately, known as Bushmen) in order to stave off hunger and thirst during long desert treks. However, this statement has not been independently verified. Other sources state that the plant was used by the San rarely, and only as a food—in fact, as a disfavored food consumed only when better tasting food sources were not available.

What Is Hoodia Used for Today?

In approximately 2002, hoodia began to be heavily marketed as a supplement for weight-loss. However, there is no reliable evidence that it offers any benefit.

The manufacturer Phytopharm cites a
double-blind, placebo-controlled study
of 18 overweight people in the UK who were given either hoodia or placebo for 15 days. Reportedly, people in the hoodia group consumed 1,000 fewer calories daily than those in the placebo group, despite remaining sedentary. This would be an enormous effect, if true. However, this study was small, it was performed by the manufacturer without outside supervision, and it has never been published. Only if a larger, independent study verifies these results will it be possible to say that there is meaningful evidence supporting the use of hoodia for weight loss.

The only
published
evidence on hoodia is far too preliminary to be relied upon. One
animal study
found that when the presumed active ingredient of hoodia is injected into the brains of rats their appetite decreases.
1
The authors conclude from their research that hoodia may work by affecting metabolism in the brain. However, injections in the brain are quite a different matter from oral consumption and could suppress appetite simply by being traumatic. Potentially more meaningful animal studies compared hoodia against placebo when
fed
to rats.
2,3
Supposedly, benefits were again seen. However, these studies were published only in abstract form, and therefore the results cannot be independently evaluated. In any case, numerous products cause weight loss in animals but do not prove to be useful treatments when tested in people.

The purported active ingredient of hoodia is a substance christened "P57." For a time, the drug company Pfizer investigated P57 as a possible weight-loss drug, but they ceased research in 2003.

Dosage

A typical dose of hoodia is 400 milligrams twice daily.

Safety Issues

None are known. However, no meaningful independent studies of hoodia's safety have been reported. Safety in pregnant or nursing women, young children, or people with liver or kidney disease has not been established.

References

1
MacLean, DB, Luo, LG. Increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside.
Brain Research.
2004;1020:1-11

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.